Improvement in automatic car-brakes



WILKIN 8v CLARK.

Gar Brake.

'/' 113.100,958. Patented Ma101115, 1870.

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NPI-.TENS PHOTO-L1THDGRAPNEIL WASHINGTON, D. C.

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Letters Patent No. 100,958, dated March 15, 1870.

` IMPROVEMENT IN- AUTOMATIC CAR-BRAKES.

' The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, MARMADUKE WILKIN `and JOHN CLARK, ofLondon, in thecounty of Middlesex, England, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in Oar-Brakes; andy we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andv exact description thereof', which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being' had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which drawing- Figure l'represents a longitudinal vertical section of this invention.

Figure 2 is a plan or top view of the saine.

Figures 3 and 4 are 'details in a larger scale than the previous figures, which will be referred to as the description progresses.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consist-s in the arrangeinent'of a lever subjected to the actionof a weight or spring, and suspended, atits free end, from a rope or chain, which 'extends throughout the entire length of one or-more cars, in combination with a clutch or ratchetwheel, and an oscillating -lever deriving its motion from one of the axles of the car, and carrying a pawl, which gears into-the ratchet-wheel, and a shaft, on which theratchet-wheel is mounted, and which connects, by means-ot' a rope or chain, with the ordinary brake-lever, in such a manner that, when the clutch-lever is raised, the shaft connected to the brake-lever remains stationary; but as soon as the clutch-lever is allowed to follow the action of its weight or spring, a revolving motion is'irnparted to y said shaft, and the brakes are applied.

In .the drawingc The letteral represents a plank, which is bolted to the truck-frame, and which forms the support for one of the bearings of the shaft b, the other end of which rests in a box supported by the truck-fraaie.

On said shait, of which a detached view is shown in iig. 3, we place a ratchet-wheel, which is mounted on a friction-clutch, as will bc hereafter described.

This ratchet-wheel obtains its mot-ion by means of a pawl secured to a rod, d, which connects witha lever carrying an' eccentric wheel, c, which bears against one shaft; but as long as the clutch-lever fis raised, the .ratchet-wheel turns independent of the shaft b, which latter, intl1at, c ase, remains stationary.

volves, said chain or rope is wound up, and the brakes are applied.

A suitable stop may be so arranged, in connection with the eccentric wheel c and clutch-lever j', that, when the lever is raised, the eccentric wheel is thrown out of contact with the car-axle, and, when the lever is released, thc stop is disengaged, and the eccentric wheel c is dra-wn up against the car-axle by the action of a spring connected to the lever i, in which said The ratchet-wheel is bored out large enough to lit f over the friction or expanding-clutch o, which iscoinposed 'of two parts, o* o, one of `which is keyed fast to the shaft, while the other slides thereon, and is so constructed that the same,.when pressed toward the iixed part, will expand, and bind iirmly in the hole of the ratchet-wheel.

By releasing the rope or chain e, which sustains the lever j', the brakes are applied; and, if this rope or chain is made to extend throughout a series of cars, the brakes of all the cars can be applied by releasing said chain or rope; or, if one. of the coupling parts and the chain are torn, the brakes will be applied automatically, and many serious accidents will beI avoided.

What we claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. rlhe lever f, subjected to the action of a weight.

0r spring, in combination withan expanding-clutch, a ratchet-wheel, a shaft and chain, and the brakes of a railroad car, all constructed and operating substanltially as shown and described.

2. lhe rope or chain e, extending throughout a series of cars, in combination with the lever f,the expanding cluch, ratchet-wheel, shaft-chain, and the brakes of the cars, substantially as set fort-h,

MARMADUKE WILKIN. i JOHN CLARK.

Witnesses:

ADM Soo'rr, v

3 'Blomjeld Crescent, London, W. Janes DnNNrs'roNN,

'.40 Herbert Street, London, JV. 

